Material handling device



July 6, 1943 0. s. MACKIE MATERIAL HANDLING DEVICE Filed Aug. 3, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY3.

July 6, 1943. D, MACKIE 2,323,551

MATERIAL HANDLING DEVI CE Filed Aug. 5, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 A TTORNEY July 6, 1943. D. s. MACKIE MATERIAL HANDLING DEVICE Filed Aug. 5, 1940 4 Sheefs-Sheet s INVENTOR.

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MATERIAL HANDLING DEVICE Filed Aug. 3, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 f, Ill

ATTORNEYS Patented July 6, 1943 S'F'E'ES TNT MATERIAL HANDLING DEVICE David S. Mackie, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a

corporation of Delaware Application August 3, 1940, Serial No. 351,521

8 Claims.

This invention relates to a material handling device and more particularly to an apparatus for applying sound deadening and heat insulating material to a sheet metal panel.

It is customary in the manufacture of automobile bodies to soundproof and insulate the metal body panels by cementing a pad of sound proofing and heat insulating material to the inner face of the panel. This invention is primarily concerned with an apparatus for cementing the sound deadening and heat insulating pad to the vehicle door panel.

It is the object of this invention to produce an apparatus for applying sound deadening and heat insulating material to a vehicle door panel which is of simple structure, efficient in operation, and which is arranged to conserve floor space in the plant in which it is used.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a, front elevation partly in section showing the apparatus and air controls with the upper roller raised from the work.

Fig. 2 a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the rollers closed.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view along th line 3-3 of Fig, 1.

Fig. 4 is a sectional View along the line d-t of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a detail showing the drive for the upper roller. 7

Fig. 6 shows the air control with the rollers open.

Fig. '7 shows the air control with the rollers closed.

Referring more particularly to the drawings there is shown a conventional conveyor comprising a rail I, and a roller carriage 2 driven by chain 3 upon which the door panel 4 is hung. Each carriage 2 carries two panels 4 face to face, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. This method of con veying is economical of floor space because the panels are conveyed stamping up rather than laying down. I

It is not practical to apply the sound deadening material to the panel while in vertical upright position. It is proposed to automatically swing each panel A on the carriage 2 a sufficient distance toward the horizontal so that the sound deadening pad can be practically applied to the panel, To this end the apparatus is provided with a panel swinging mechanism in the form of upper and lower V shaped frames 5 and 6 respectively. These frames come to a point as at 1 and are connected by theupwardly and rearwardly inclined V bar 8. The point i of the frames 5 and 6, shown in Figs. 1 and 3, is aligned with and positioned directly below the conveyor rail l As the panels 4 reach the point of the swinging devices 5 and 6, the panels are spread and swung upwardly about the carriage 2 toward horizontal position. The distance through which the panels will be swung or shifted toward the horizontal will vary with the type of panel, the sound deadening material used, and other conditions .obtaining.

By way of illustration the panel 4 is shown here as swung through about 45 degrees. V shaped frames 5 and 6 deflect the panels on to a roller conveyor comprising a plurality of rollers 9 mounted on fbrackets l8 which in turn are supported upon frame members ,I l inclined about .5 degrees from the horizontal which in turn are supported by the vertical upright frame members i2. While being conveyed along the inclined roller conveyor 9, cement is brushed or otherwise applied and spread on the surface of the panel 4 and the pad I3 of sound deadening and heat insulating material is placed upon the ocmented surface. The conveyor '2, 3 moves continuously.

After the pad is has been positioned upon the cemented surface of the panel it "is nowready to be rolled or pressed down upon the panel to smooth out the pad and securely bind it to the panel. To this end there is provided a pair of opposed rollers Hi and i5. Roller I 4 is concave to fit the lower side of the .panel 4 and is rotatably mounted by brackets it upon frame members ii. The upper roller I5 is curved tofit the inside of the panel 4. Roller I5 isrotatably supported upon frame I? which is fixed to piston rod E8 of piston l9 in air cylinder 20. Frame I! is held from turning by plungers 2i fixed to the frame which reciprocate in cylinders 22 carried by the supporting stationary frame member 23..

Roller i4 is an idling roller whereas roller 15 is driven. Roller i5 is provided with a shaft 25 upon which is mounted a pulley 2.6, Fig. 5. Pulley .23 is arranged to be driven by an electric motor 27 (supported on frame .23 through a gear reduction 28, belt 29, pulleys 3i) and belt 3|. Normally roller i5 is in open or raised position, Figs. 1 and 3.

Air lines and connections for cylinder 20 will now be described. Air under high pressure is carried in line 22 which, after valve '33 is open, fills up the line to valve 4| which is always closed. Air from line 32 also passes through valve All which is open and line 34 into tank 35. Air also feeds through regulator 36 which antomatically reduces the air to twenty pounds per square inch, into the tank 35 and thence'through line 31 to valve 43 which is open and also to valve t2 which is closed. Air flowsthrough line 3.8 to valve-41 which is closed. Valve 4.6 is open at this time and is connected by means of line 50 with cylinder 29 above piston l9. Therefore the portion of the cylinder 20 above piston 19 is open through line 50 and valve 45 toatmosphere.

At this time the door panel is about to pass between the rollers.

As the door moves along the inclined roller conveyor 9, propelled by the overhead conveyor 2, 3, the door panel strikes rollers 43 and 49 mounted respectively on levers and 52 pivotally supported as at 53 and 54. When the door panel 4 strikes rollers 48 and 49 this swings levers El and 52 counterclockwise thereby opening valves 45 and 41 and closing valves 54 and 46, Fig. 7. Valve 65 is connected with the portion of the cylinder 20 below the piston 19 by line 55. Valve 45 thus exhausts high pressure air into the atmosphere from the bottom of the cylinder 20. Valve 4'! now feeds compressed air into the top of the cylinder through line 53 which lowers roller into pressing, rolling engagement with pad l3 on the panel 4. Roller l5 now cooperates with roller I to compress the door insulating pad on the door panel. Roller I5 is run continuously by motor 2'1 so that its surface speed is the same as the speed of the panel 4.

After the door panel passes beyond rollers 48 and 49, tension springs Bil swing levers 5| and 52 clockwise thereby closing valves 55 and i? and opening valves 44 and 46. Compressed air passes through valve 44 in line 55 into the lower end of the cylinder thus raising piston l9 and roller l5. Air is exhausted from the top of the cylinder through line 53 and valve 46. This terminates one complete cycle of the apparatus.

If it is desired for any reason to hold the top roller l5 in open position, handle 59 is pulled downwardly and locked in this position by looking lever ll. In this position valve 53 is closed and valves ll and 42 are open so that high pressure air passes through valve M directly to the bottom of the cylinder 2i! which permits the door to pass over rollers 48 and 49 without operating the pad roller I5. It should be borne in mind that the air passing into the lines from tank 35 is low pressure air.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for pressing sound deadening material on to a panel comprising a conveyor upon which the panel is suspended and by which the panel is conveyed along a predetermined course, an inclined support along which the panel is conveyed by said conveyor, and means positioned along said course for shifting the panel while supported by said conveyor on to said inclined support, and pressing means for pressing the sound deadening material against said panel as it is conveyed along said inclined support.

2. An apparatus for pressing sound deadening material on to a panel comprising a conveyor upon which the panel is suspended and by which the panel is conveyed along a predetermined course, an inclined support along which the panel is conveyed by said conveyor, and means positioned along said course for shifting the panel while supported by said conveyor on to said inclined support, and a roller for pressing sound deadening material on to said panel as it is conveyed along said inclined support.

3. An apparatus for pressing sound deadening material on to a panel comprising a conveyor upon which the panel is suspended and by which the panel is conveyed along a predetermined course, an inclined support along which the panel is conveyed by said conveyor, and means positioned along said course for shifting the panel while supported by said conveyor on to said in clined support, and a pair of opposed pressure rollers between which the panel and a pad of sound deadening material pass while being conveyed along said inclined support, the said rollers pressing the pad on to the panel.

4. An apparatus for pressing sound deadening material on to a panel comprising a conveyor upon which the panel is suspended and by which the panel is conveyed along a predetermined course, an inclined support along which the panel is conveyed by said conveyor, and means positioned along said course for shifting the panel while supported by said conveyor on to said inclined support, a pair of opposed pressure rollers between which the panel and a pad of sound deadening material pass while being conveyed along said inclined support, the said rollers pressing the pad on to the panel, and power means for rotating at least one of said rollers.

5. An apparatus for pressing sound deadening material on to a panel comprising a conveyor upon which the panel is suspended and by which the panel is conveyed along a predetermined course, an inclined support along which the panel is conveyed by said conveyor, an inclined cam surface positioned along said course for shifting the panel while supported by said conveyor on to the said inclined support, and pressing means for pressing the sound deadening material against said panel as it is conveyed along said inclined support.

6. An apparatus for pressing sound deadening material on to a panel comprising a conveyor upon which the panel is suspended and by which the panel is conveyed along a predetermined course, an inclined support along which the panel is conveyed by said conveyor, an inclined cam surface positioned along said course for shifting the panel while supported by said conveyor on to the said inclined support, and a roller for pressing sound deadening material on to said panel as it is conveyed along said inclined support,

7. An apparatus for pressing sound deadening material on to a panel coated with an adhesive comprising an overhead conveyor upon which the panel is suspended vertically and by which the panel is conveyed along a predetermined course. an inclined support provided with antifriction means along which the panel is conveyed by said conveyor, an inclined cam surface positioned below the conveyor and having its forward edge substantially in alignment with the overhead conveyor for swinging the panel from the vertical toward the horizontal while supported by said conveyor on to the said inclined support, and means for pressing the sound deadening material against the said panel as it is conveyed along the inclined support.

8. An apparatus for pressing sound deadening material onto a panel comprising a conveyor upon which the panel is suspended and by which the panel is conveyed along a predetermined course, an inclined support along which the panel is conveyed by said conveyor, means positioned along said course for shifting the panel while supported by said conveyor onto said inclined support, pressing means for pressing the sound deadening material against said panel as it is conveyed along said inclined support, means controlled by the motion of said panel on said conveyor for automatically moving the pressing means against the pad when the forward end of the panel is adjacent the pressing means and for retracting the pressing means from the pad after the pad has been pressed against the surface of the panel DAVID S. MACKIE. 

